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A study in the March/April issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how farm-to-school programs have the potential to improve children's diets by providing locally grown produce without burdening the school's finances. Researchers at the Michigan State University, Lansing, examined why farmers, school food service professionals (SFSP), and food distributors participate in farm-to-school programs and how they characterize the opportunities and challenges to school food procurement from local farmers. Researchers identified three major reasons why SFSP participate in farm-to-school programs including:
(1) "The students like it,"
(2) "The price is right," and
(3) "We're helping our local farmer."
There were three areas that emerged from analysis of the SFSP's interviews about students/children participation in the farm-to-school programs which included:
(1) quality,
(2) influence of food service staff, and
(3) relationships with farmers.
Full text: href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-03/ehs-fpm030210.php
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